Wireless - the future of vehicle detection
Peter Cattell of Clearview Traffic analyses different wireless communications methods and explains how these are changing the face of vehicle detection. With the continued expansion of traffic data collection solutions, providing a robust, reliable, scalable and secure method of collecting information becomes increasingly important. Over many years, various mobile wireless technologies have been utilised to make the remote collection of data a reality but recent developments are changing the way that this w
Radar effective as detection tool for hard shoulder running
Navtech Radar's millimetric-wave systems are being researched on the M42 in England to look into how this type of detector can assist in the opening of the hard shoulder as an additional running lane. Here, the company's Stephen Clark talks about the technology being used. In England, the Highways Agency's (the HA, an executive agency of the Department for Transport) Managed Motorways system - formerly called Active Traffic Management - uses electronic signs and signals mounted on gantries to direct drivers
Is road user charging the first stop for congestion management?
David Hytch, Information Systems Director at the Greater Manchester Public Transport Executive, considers just where congestion pricing schemes should sit in transport planners' hierarchy of options for managing demand. On the face of it, Greater Manchester in England's proposed congestion charging scheme hit just about every sweet spot possible when it came to convincing the general public of the need for and benefits of such a venture. There was the promise from national government of almost £3bn-worth of
Improving the positional accuracy of GNSS road user charging
The European GINA project is intended to address and overcome many of the institutional, technical and public acceptance hurdles currently faced by satellite-based road user charging schemes. Dave Tindall and Denis Naberezhnykh, TRL, and Laure Dezes, ERF, write. Pay-as-you-drive Road User Charging (RUC), whereby demand (or congestion) is managed by applying appropriate tariffs in order to encourage drivers to make their journeys at less busy times, on less congested routes or even on different modes, could
Debating a cost-effective means of road user charging
Does GPS/GNSS-based technology provide a cost-effective means of charging or tolling on a national or international level, or are the issues pertaining to effective enforcement an obstacle. Here, leading equipment manufacturers debate the issue.
Schrader reaches TPMS milestone with 200 million sensors produced
Schrader, a leading global manufacturer of sensing and valve solutions, has announced the production of its 200 millionth direct tyre pressure monitoring system (TPMS) sensor, which came off Schrader’s Antrim, Northern Ireland facility production line.
Vix in deployment of RTPI signs across London
Vix has announced the completion of a wide scale installation of new real time passenger information (RTPI) signs across London. The 1,250 signs deployed are a part of the Countdown project which delivers real time bus information for every one of the 19,000 bus stops and 700 routes in London.
GE researchers developing at-home refuelling station for NG vehicles
In what could help fuel widespread adoption of natural gas-powered (NG) vehicles in the US and globally, GE researchers, in partnership with Chart Industries and scientists at the University of Missouri, have been awarded a programme through Advanced Research Projects Agency for Energy (ARPA-E) to develop an affordable at-home refuelling station that would meet ARPA-E’s target of $500 per station and reduce re-fuelling times from 5-8 hours to less than 1 hour. Natural gas prices are at an all-time low and t
Uruguay plans to buy hundreds of electric buses from Chinese company
José Mujica, President of Uruguay, BYD, CTS and Buquebus officials have signed a contract to begin bringing electric buses into Uruguay. The BYD GreenCity buses that CTS and Buquebus are purchasing are able to run 250 km (155 miles) on a single charge in urban conditions, with an energy consumption of less than 130 kWh per 100 km. The core technology of the BYD electric buses is the company’s self-developed Iron-Phosphate battery technology boasting the highest safety, longest service life and most environm
TransCore wins statewide toll system integration and maintenance contract
Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) has awarded TransCore the Texas statewide toll systems integration and maintenance contract following a competitive procurement. The company was selected based upon an evaluation of its proposed solution, technology, qualifications, and price and now becomes TxDOT’s toll lane technology provider throughout the state of Texas.
Telvent, Siemens, IBM, and Cisco will prosper in traffic management systems market
According to a new report from ABI Research, as the global population hurtles past the seven billion barrier, more and more people are living in cities than ever before. This is especially true of developing countries which account for 20 of the world’s 27 megacities. With above average levels of population and economic growth in these regions, traffic congestion has quickly ensued, which is detrimental to GDP, the environment, as well as health and safety. The new ABI Research report predicts that companie
Developments in security for wireless communications networks
David Crawford looks at new developments in security for wireless communications networks. Wireless communications - including mobile phone links - are well recognised as a key transport technology. They are low-cost, easily installed, well supported by the wider IT industry and offer the protocols of choice for much metropolitan area networking on which transport applications can piggyback.
Digital Light Processing transforms travel information
David Crawford investigates the potential of new projection technology. Fifty years on from its invention of the microchip, US company Texas Instruments (TI) has compressed the technology into a surface area of just 4.3mm. As such, it forms the heart of a new Pico Digital Light Processing (DLP) system that is set to transform travel information delivery for millions of users on the move - by making it projectable.
Align transport infrastructure needs with ITS offerings
Kallistratos Dionelis, General Secretary of ASECAP, ponders the absence of creativity and innovation in the road management sector. 'Traditional' road managers and ITS specialists share many of the same ultimate goals and yet, he says, a common understanding of what technology can achieve is still conspicuously absent.
Align transport infrastructure needs with ITS offerings
Kallistratos Dionelis, General Secretary of ASECAP, ponders the absence of creativity and innovation in the road management sector. 'Traditional' road managers and ITS specialists share many of the same ultimate goals and yet, he says, a common understanding of what technology can achieve is still conspicuously absent.
Align transport infrastructure needs with ITS offerings
Kallistratos Dionelis, General Secretary of ASECAP, ponders the absence of creativity and innovation in the road management sector. 'Traditional' road managers and ITS specialists share many of the same ultimate goals and yet, he says, a common understanding of what technology can achieve is still conspicuously absent.
Economic stimulus packages - shift in emphasis on exit strategies
Jack Short of the International Transport Forum discusses the role of stimulus finding and the path in and out of recession. The US Government has grabbed many headlines with the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), its response to the need to do something to prevent stagnation in the face of the recent economic downturn.
An honest relationship
Consider this: "the most important reform should be that of speed limits and the criteria by which they are set". And this: "a successful road safety solution reduces casualties and catches few people because offence rates are so low". Both statements come from the article on pages 28-30 of this issue on business models for automated enforcement. Both come from established figures in the field (respectively, Paolo Sodi of Sodi Scientifica and Geoff Collins of Speed Check Services); and both highlight the ya
Virtually fail-safe CCTV networks
Communication Networks (ComNet) has launched what it claims is a revolutionary new fibre-optic video product line that can seamlessly restore a CCTV network. The ComNet SHR line consists of the FVTFVR1010SHR single channel with data series, the FVT/FVR4014SHR series four video channels with four data channels and FVT/FVR8018SHR series eight video channels with eight data channels. All models are digital fibre-optic video transmitters and receivers with bi-directional data that incorporate what the company s
SBC-2400 traffic control system
The SBC-2400 from Zwiesler Resources is a cost-effective traffic control system based on a single-board controller running 170 software. The integrated set of components for advanced traffic control is comprised of a CPU, power board, conflict monitor unit, traffic cabinet, traffic control software and provision for 12V solar power.